1/19/2022
My dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,
I am curious to see how today’s PC is going to go. As you are well aware, folks in the media are critical of you for avoiding them. They note that while you tend to be complimentary to the press unlike the previous POTUS, you have had far fewer press encounters than he did. This is your 10th, while DJT had 22 by this time in his presidency.
I understand your hesitancy. Clove Wootson pointed out in his WP column that you have “a penchant for gaffes and misstatements” which leads to “stray sentence(s)” & “flubbed phrase(s) which “can ricochet around social media and cable news.”
Like you, I am prone to overshare & when I get the spotlight, I get carried away & can sound stupid. The most famous incident was when I was on a TV news segment in 1981 talking about the beauty of the woods of NH in the fall & said, “I can sum it up in one word, pretty much, majestic.” My Dartmouth buddies who joined me to watch the segment roared in laughter & have never let me forget it.
My advice to you is to take a deep breath before each response & stick to your script. As they ask you questions start with, “That’s a good question,” which will help you maintain a positive frame of mind as you respond. If you find yourself grasping for an answer, just say, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
Freedom of the press is so important! We need journalists to provide info, investigate, ask hard questions & share their opinions. I always knew that this could be dangerous in places like Myanmar, but now I am realizing from personal experience it can be risky right here in the USA.
I got an email last night from someone who read my letter to the editor about keeping the military in check lest we end up like Myanmar. They said they “were taken aback by it.” I doubt they intend me harm, but I can imagine that someone could react in that way.
So please offer encouraging words to the reporters today & thank them for the important, courageous work they do.
BYBS,
